2004 film by Stacy Peralta
Riding Giants
is a 2004
documentary film
produced by Agi Orsi and directed and narrated by
Stacy Peralta
, a famous skater/surfer. The movie traces the origins of
surfing
and specifically focuses on the art of
big wave riding
. Some of the featured surfers are
Greg Noll
,
Laird Hamilton
, and
Jeff Clark
, and surfing pioneers such as
Mickey Munoz
.
Synopsis
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The film begins with a historical overview, starting at its
Hawaiian beginnings
, then moves on to focus on the dangerous lure of big-wave surfing (surfing waves that can reach up to 70 feet (21 meters)). The documentary chronicles the evolution of riding at Hawaii's
Waimea Bay
in the 1950s, the revolution of lighter boards, and
tow-in surfing
to allow for "
riding giants
". Three surfers who are part of this multi-generational evolution are spotlighted:
Greg Noll
is shown as a fearless big wave rider during the 1950s and 1960s;
Jeff Clark
who discovered
Mavericks
in Northern California and surfed there alone for years; and
Laird Hamilton
, the contemporary surfer who brings tow-in riding to the limelight.
Production
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Peralta previously directed the acclaimed documentary
Dogtown and Z-Boys
, which documented the rise of skateboarding, of which he was an integral part. The French producer Franck Marty, along with his partners, chose him to direct a new breed of big wave riding documentary film. He has said that the primary purpose of making a surfing documentary was that he "wanted to see a film like this", and that he hoped it helped to answer the question "why people choose to devote their entire lives to the pursuit of riding waves."
[1]
Riding Giants
utilizes stills, archive footage, "re-enacted" footage, home movies, and interviews. Some of the surfers interviewed include
Jeff Clark
,
Laird Hamilton
,
Dave Kalama
,
Gerry Lopez
,
Greg Noll
,
Kelly Slater
and
Peter Mel
.
Soundtrack music
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Includes:
Basement Jaxx
,
David Bowie
,
Link Wray
,
Dick Dale
,
Doves
,
Fila Brazillia
,
Bill Haley & His Comets
,
The Hives
,
Linkin Park
,
John Mayall
,
Moby
,
Pearl Jam
,
The Ruts
,
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
,
Soundgarden
,
The Stray Cats
,
Alice in Chains
,
Erik Satie
and
The Waterboys
.
Reception
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Riding Giants
was the first documentary film to open the
Sundance Film Festival
. It won the 2004 A.C.E. Eddie Award for Best Edited Documentary by editor
Paul Crowder
. According to
Rotten Tomatoes
, the film has a 92% fresh rating, having earned mostly positive reviews from critics.
[2]
Roger Ebert
said in his review, "Before seeing
Riding Giants
, my ideas about surfing were formed by the
Gidget
movies,
Endless Summer
,
The Beach Boys
,
Elvis
and lots of TV commercials.
Riding Giants
is about altogether another reality."
See also
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References
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External links
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